Tow my heart and my car
by anotherOUATwriter
Summary: Working at a gas station wouldn't be so boring if it would be close to a city, but Emma Swan worked in the middle of nowhere. She sat behind the counter wishing for one thing would happen to her tonight, just one thing to put her out of her miserably boring life. And then the phone rang: the car of a woman called Miss Mills had broken down. / Swan Queen Week day 1 Meet-Cute AU


I should be studying - but, what kind of Swen would I be if I don't participate on Swan Queen Week!

On a side note, I don't know anything about roads/road-help in the USA so I based it on the roads in my current country.

I apologise for the mistakes, I didn't have time to get a beta.

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><p>Most of the days, Emma Swan hated her night job; and today was one of them.<p>

Working at a gas station/mechanic workshop on the Interstate 95 wouldn't be so boring if her working place would be closer to a city, but the closest thing to a city she had was Bangor, and even that was couple of thousand miles away. Emma Swan worked in the middle of nowhere. Needless to say, that the small gas station was not a place where many people stopped. She could be lucky if more than three truck drivers would stop on the same night.

Her colleague, a girl shy girl named Belle, didn't mind the lack of costumers; she used the time to study. Belle was the definition of nerd (in the best kind of ways), she couldn't afford to move to a big city to go to University so she enrolled on an online university she found. She was majoring in business, hoping she would inherit and continue running her family's business once her father retired.

Emma didn't have such high expectations in life, she worked enough to make it to the end of the month and pay her bills. She had two jobs and sometimes helped Belle in her family's business. She wasn't smart, but she was a hard worker, and she needed to busy her hands with something (all the time).

"I'll clean the bathrooms,"

"You did that when our shift started," Belle said, "And we hadn't have any costumers, so they are still clean," she reminded Emma without raising her head from the book she was reading: Environmental Economics & Sustainable Development. Emma had shivered when she read the name.

"Fine, then I'll fix the chips aisle,"

"You did that yesterday,"

"Maybe I'll arrange the pile tires,"

"Emma," Belle looked at her friend for the first time since their conversation started, "There is nothing to do,"

Emma didn't argue with her because she knew Belle was right. So, she sat behind the counter and started swinging in her chair while she looked at the ceiling. It would be so awesome if one thing would happen to her tonight, just _one_ thing to put her out of her miserably boring life.

"Stop fidgeting!" Belle scolded her, she hated when Emma swung on the chair because it make a squeaky noise that annoyed her. Emma looked at her apologetically, but because she could open her mouth to reply something the station's phone rang.

_Ring, Ring. _

_'Oh, my god!' _Emma thought, '_Could it be that something has finally happened?'_

_Ring, Ring._

Both Emma and Belle stared at the phone; it had never rang during the night shift, so even if they knew the protocol they had never been presented with the opportunity to follow it. Belle rolled her eyes at Emma's inefficiency and took the phone.

"McPhill's Gas Station, what can I do for you?" Emma couldn't understand what the person on the other side of the phone was saying, "I understand, Miss Mills, please stay in your car and keep calm, my colleague will go and pick you up with our tow truck,"

Emma raised one fist to celebrate her victory, finally something had happened! Maybe tonight wouldn't be so horrible after all. She took her red leather jacket and put it on as Belle reassured Miss Mills that they would be there in no time.

"Miss Mills, owner of a black Mercedes," Belle read the notes she had taken during the conversation - because leave it to Belle to make notes about everything, "She says her car stopped working and the Interstate Road-Help gave her our number, since we are the closest to her current position. She sounded on the verge of a panic attack, so hurry up,"

"Black Mercedes. Miss Mills, got it!" Emma zipped her leather jacket and took the truck's keys.

"She was coming form Boston! So you have to drive south,"

"Great, thanks!"

The blonde ran towards the truck and drove off, going south - via Boston. She checked the temperature on the truck's dashboard, it was getting colder by the minute and the sky was clouded and windy. Emma was sure it would start raining any time soon. She should hurry up if she wanted to hook Miss Mills's car before they were hit by the storm.

It was not hard to find Miss Mills, even if her car was as black as the night. She was sitting inside but stepped outside once she saw the truck pulling over. Emma studied the woman who stood next to the car while she took the keys out of the ignition. Miss Mills was a petite woman with an expensive taste in clothes (and cars, too), her skin was sun-kissed seemed warm and cozy to the naked eye and her hair was a little bit over her shoulders and Emma wondered if it was silky smooth, or if it just looked like silk.

"Are you from the McPhill's Gas Station?" she ask, uncertainty colouring her voice.

"Yes, my name is Emma Swan," Emma grabbed the hook from the truck and walked toward the car, "I'll hook your car and tow it to our workshop. It will take a moment, but you are more than welcome to wait in the truck,"

The woman nodded and grabbed something for the back of her car. Emma raised an eyebrow at the action, and then she saw Regina pulling out a baby chair from the car.

"You have a baby," Emma pointed out the obvious. Probably why she was so worried about being stuck in the middle of nowhere with a car (and thus, heater) not working. Without thinking two times about it, she gave the woman the keys to the truck and said "Turn the heater on, I'll be done as fast as I can,"

Miss Mills muttered a '_Thank you,_' before she took the keys and went into the car. It started raining before Emma could finish hooking the black Mercedes to her truck, and even if she was well dress the raindrops crashing against her hands felt like tiny knives piercing her skin. There was no doubt, the rain would turn into hailing soon.

After making sure that the car was securely hooked to the truck, Emma ran to the driver's door, "_Fuck_, it is cold outside," she let out as she shivered, suddenly she remembered she was not alone and she turned to apologise "I am_ so_ sorry, I am not used to be in company,"

"Then I guess I'll forgive you," she replied with a gentle smile, "You are after all, my knight in shinning armour,"

"The truck is not really a white horse, though," Emma commented with a shrugged and it made Miss Mills laugh.

"But really, thank you. I was starting to panic,"

"Understandable," Emma nodded, "Who's this little guy?" she asked, looking at the sleeping baby (dressed in blue) "I mean, I know he's your kid... I'm just wondering his name, if you want to tell me, of course,"

"You are rambling, dear," the woman pointed out, "and his name is Henry, I just adopted him," she added proudly.

"Then he's a lucky boy, not all abandoned kids have that luck,"

If the woman had noticed the pain in Emma's eyes, she didn't say anything. She just looked down at her baby and smiled at him, "I am the one who's lucky,"

Emma smiled sweetly at her, and for a second wondered how different her life would be if someone would have adopted her. Maybe she wouldn't appreciate things so much, and maybe no one would have saved Miss Mills and her baby tonight. '_Everything happens for a reason, you just need to find it,_' one of her social workers used to say, but not until today Emma had understood its meaning. She cleared her throat.

"Well, Miss Mills, let's take you and Henry to a warm, dry place,"

"It's Regina," Miss Mills said, "My name is Regina,"

"It's a pleasure meeting you, Regina," Emma smiled, "I wish it would be under other circumstances,"

"Nonsense, dear," Regina replied, "This circumstances are more than perfect. And it is my pleasure, too,"

Emma's smile just widened, and it stayed on her face as she drove back to the lonely gas station, with a mother and her recently adopted son, and a black Mercedes in tow.


End file.
